Painting behind bars

The art of fighting for freedom

Featured in

  • Published 20250204
  • ISBN: 978-1-923213-04-3
  • Extent: 196 pp
  • Paperback, ebook. PDF

Artist and activist Mostafa Azimitabar, better known as Moz, has twice been a finalist in Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize, the Archibald – yet he’s not legally allowed to study in this country and must reapply for his bridging visa every six months. After reaching Australia by boat in 2013, Moz was immediately detained by the Australian Government and exiled to Manus Island with 1,500 other refugees. To survive his imprisonment, he began to paint with the only tools he had at his disposal: a toothbrush and a cup of instant coffee. Now a free man and an acclaimed artist, Moz is using his voice to speak up for the rights of refugees: those locked up in detention and those who have been waiting more than a decade for a permanent visa. He continues to use his toothbrush to create art that embodies his message of love and hope.

CARODY CULVER: You were born in Iran in the 1980s, when the country was at war with Iraq; you’re also part of Iran’s persecuted Kurdish minority. So you grew up in an environment of intense civil unrest and extreme violence. When and why did you realise that you had to flee?

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

If you are an educator or student wishing to access content for study purposes please contact us at griffithreview@griffith.edu.au

Share article

About the author

Mostafa Azimitabar

Mostafa Azimitabar is a human-rights activist and two-time Archibald Prize finalist. As a refugee from Kurdistan, his status as an Australian resident is yet...

More from this edition

Dining in

In ConversationThe intimate, private setting naturally creates a close connection between the chef and diners, making it easier for the chef to share the stories, heritage and traditions behind each dish. For diners, the cosy, welcoming atmosphere makes them feel as though they’ve been invited into a friend’s home. From a business perspective, a home-based restaurant comes with fewer overhead costs, such as rent and wages. This allows me, as the business owner, to deliver high-quality food at a more affordable price, as these expenses are not factored into the food cost.

Shelf life

Non-fictionEarly in his career, Charles Dickens notably underestimated the reputational risk of library-shelf browsing when he invited the critic George Henry Lewes home for tea. Over steaming cups, Lewes eyed naff triple-decker novels and bland travel books, ‘all obviously the presentation copies from authors and publishers’. He recalled the experience in a waspish elegy published shortly after Dickens’ death: ‘A man’s library expresses much of his hidden life, I did not expect to find a bookworm, nor even a student, in the marvellous “Boz” but nevertheless this collection of books was a shock.’

Follow the road to the yellow house

Non-fictionI first visited Varuna in 1994. I had just left my job as the Aboriginal Curator at the Australian National Maritime Museum, where I was involved in establishing the first gallery dedicated to addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander maritime history. I remember that visit well – even then I felt at home. I grew up in the Blue Mountains. My parents bought our family home there in the early 1970s. It was built in the 1940s, which means that it has a similar interior to Varuna, with ornate cornices, creamy white bathroom tiles, a green basin and bath, Bakelite door handles and even an old black phone.

Stay up to date with the latest, news, articles and special offers from Griffith Review.